Returning Halliwell
by GuardianWolfman
Summary: AU. Chris begins to get his memories back at the age of fifteen. Unable to handle being around his family he runs away. Seven years passes when accidently their paths cross. How will he and his family cope?
1. Chapter 1

_**Wednesday 7**__**th**__** October 2026 7.45am, Conners Home**_

Chris watched as his husband, Luke led away their little boy. This had been a morning ritual for the last six months or so but it didn't make it any easier. Luke would take young Vic away to magic school where he would spend the day in the magical nursery. Luke would return to spend an hour or so with his husband before heading off to work for the family. The Conners family was immeasurably wealthy; generations ago they had been hotel owners but as their wealth grew the family had branched out into owning planes and boats. They were the single most well known cruise company in the United States. Luke had the rather privileged job of marketing which he loved. He worked in the New York office and his was his job to oversee all marketing designs for television, billboards, radio and magazines.

Chris smiled as he remembered how lucky he was to have such a fantastic life when six and a half years ago it had gone to shit. Sure he still had his family if he returned and he knew they still cared and missed him, hell he felt the same way about them but at the time it had been in the best interests of everyone for him to leave. He knew he had been selfish but it had been necessary. He didn't want to hurt his family and if he had stayed then he would have. He had ran and found his self in New York. Before he had left San Francisco he had planned everything out in excruciating detail. It was one of his many good qualities and it had served him well. The moment he arrived in New York he had managed to secure a flat and job using magical means. He wasn't pleased with his own actions at the time but he had been so low and desperate that he had done it regardless of the consequences. Things had started getting better after six months and then about two years after he had run away he had meet Luke. From that moment on things had been like a dream come true.

Chris shook himself out of the nostalgia that had claimed him as he noticed his husband returned. Luke Conners was a blonde surfer type with a lean yet muscular body, green eyes that matched his partners perfectly and short ruffled bed like hair. Every morning Luke woke and spent at least twenty minutes in the bathroom just doing his hair. During this time Chris would wake their son and start to prepare breakfast. The hair was one thing that both men knew Luke's parents hated. They argued regularly for him to get a more sensible business like haircut but Luke refused. He liked his hair the way it was and whenever it was brought up in conversation he would offer to leave the family business. Family meant everything to the Conners, just like it did to the Halliwells so they would never push their son far enough for him to leave.

"Drifting away again babe?" Luke asked as he pulled his husband to him and wrapped his arms around Chris' neck. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as he laid his head on Chris's chest. Chris was ever so slightly taller than Luke and grabbed his waist holding him close, "Just thinking about us, the life I have now over the hell I once had", Chris admitted. Luke hummed and tangled his fingers into Chris' hair. Chris had told Luke everything about his past about a year into the relationship and surprisingly it had bought them closer together. Days later Luke had proposed and they had got engaged. Barely a year later they got married much to Luke's parents' disapproval. They had met and grown to love Chris dearly but they believed both boys were too young. After a couple of years of being married they had decided they wanted a baby together. Nine months later Victor Conners was welcomed into the family and his grandparents on the Conners side adored him.

"You never have to go back to it unless you want to", Luke murmured sweetly to his husband. He understood the conflict in Chris' own heart. The happiness that his family used to represent had been tainted by memories of another future when Chris had turned fifteen. "I know. I miss them though and it's not fair to Vic to keep him from his other grandparents is it? I wasn't able to cope when I was fifteen but then I meet you babe and thinks became wonderful again. I've finally managed to work through the memories and emotions that overwhelmed me. And now we are starting our own little family I wanna have my family as a part of it", Chris whispered. "So why don't you?" Luke asked confused as he pulled back to look in his husband's eyes.

Chris was silent for a moment as he lost himself in the loving gaze which met his. "I don't know how to bridge the gap", Chris muttered slowly. "It's not like I can just orb back to the manor and say 'Hey mom. Hey Dad' is it? You remember the stories about my mother's temper right? It wouldn't surprise me if she blew me up on sight." Luke chuckled at the stupidity of it. "Babe they're you parents. Sure they will be angry and you will have to deal with that but they also love and miss you. I don't think they will blow you up", he reassured his husband. "They might consider it though", Luke muttered quietly. The two continued to stand silently in each other's embrace for a while in silence. After what felt like forever Chris used two fingers to tilt Luke's upwards. "Babe it's time for you to go", he breathed. Before he could answer Chris leant his lips down to kiss him passionately. Chris slid his tongue across his husband's lips the way he always had. Luke happy to oblige opened his mouth so his husband's tongue could explore his mouth. Luke kissed back just as passionately and sighed when they pulled apart. "I love you", Chris whispered.

"Love you too Chris. Now remember if you go demon hunting I want to know about it. And don't overdo it. I don't want to come home and find you covered in blood groaning again. It's not good for Vic to see you that way either", Luke reminded his neurotic demon obsessed husband.

"I can't promise anything but I swear I will try my best", Chris replied with a wry smile. "Besides if Lucy had been here to heal me Victor wouldn't have seen me that way."

* * *

_**Wednesday 7**__**th**__** October 2026 3.27pm, Underworld**_

Chris used his telekinesis to direct the fireball back at the demon that sent it but didn't see the one to his right that hit his side. The force of the blast sent him flying into the cave wall. Chris couldn't feel the burning of his flesh which meant the damage was bad. The nerve endings must have completely shut down. As he tried to stand the smell of charred flesh and boiling blood reached his nostrils. Nauseated he stood shakily to confront the remaining demons that had surrounded him, "Well I guess I must have missed something. Since when do lower level demons of opposing factions work together?"

The leader of both factions stood closest to him and sneered at him while the others laughed openly. "You really think we would try and take out a charmed ones progeny by ourselves?" The male leader smirked.

"Oh, we know you Halliwells like the divide and conquer strategy but you're so arrogant that you think attacking us on two different fronts would keep us separated. All we had to do was wait for one of you to come to both of us", the female leader growled. "And once we get rid of you we can deal with the other one", the male leader continued. Chris let the confusion show on his face. Okay so they recognised him as a Halliwell but he didn't understand this talk of two fronts. He had been tracking the female leader's faction. They were his target this time. He knew of the other faction but hadn't made a move to attack them preferring to take one out at a time. The last part of the conversation seemed important though. "Who is this other one you speak of?" Chris asked dreading the answer.

The leader of the male demons tilted his head as he looked into Chris' eyes, "Oh you didn't know", he laughed. "The other one we talk of is your brother the twice blessed. You didn't know he was after us while you went of Milo's faction? Which means he doesn't realise you are after her faction. I'd say that gives us an advantage."

"Enough Fernaz", Milo interrupted. "He has taken the life of enough of my demons. Now he pays with a long and agonised death." Milo pulled the other faction leader back out the way. "Ready", she called and Chris watched as ten or so demon readied fireballs. "Aim for the non vital areas and fire!" she screamed. Chris felt his breath leave him as fireballs hit his arms and legs. Dropping to the floor he felt the pain this time. Agony coursed through his body as he realised he had failed Luke and Victor. He had promised to try and not get himself killed but death was coming and he could feel it. Blood was slowly oozing from all his wounds as he fought to stay conscious.

"Don't worry, you will be dead soon little witch", Milo sneered as she crouched down to his body. "Not if I have anything to say about it", came a familiar voice from across the room. Chris tried to identify the voice but the fog that was clouding his brain from the lack of blood made it impossible. "Get him", roared Fernaz as he threw his own fireball at the newcomer. Chris couldn't see the fight since he had landed looking at the cave wall. He didn't have the strength to move at all so he could only listen to the sound of fighting happening behind him.

Fireballs whooshed through the air and demons cried out in agony at the same time the sound of potion vials breaking caught Chris' ears. The fight ended quicker than Chris could understand after the sheer numbers he had seen. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and he screamed out in agony as the sensation sent a wave of pain through his body. "Chris?!" the same voice from earlier exclaimed in surprise as the owner obviously recognised the dying man before him. Without another word the hand was back on his shoulder and Chris felt the familiar sensation of orbing before he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Wednesday 7**__**th**__** October 2026 4.11pm, Halliwell Manor**_

Piper was home from the restaurant early as her assistant manager had arrived an hour before he was scheduled to start. She had just started preparing herself a snack when she heard her son's voice. Or one of them at least cry out for her husband.

"Damn it Leo! Get your elder arse down here", Wyatt called again. Piper walked out of the kitchen to see her son with an unconscious man on the couch. The man had obviously suffered greatly at the hand of demons as the fireball wounds attested. Piper couldn't remember seeing someone as badly injured as this man survive such an attack before. If they were in this state then usually it was too late regardless of white lighter healing. That didn't seem to be stopping her son from trying though. "Wyatt honey", Piper called in a sorrow filled tone. "I think you might be too late to save him."

"MOM!" Wyatt cried and turned his head round to look at her with tears streaming down his face. "It's him mom", Wyatt croaked but couldn't say anymore. Piper moved forward to console her son, thinking that Wyatt was losing his first charge to evil. As she approached the couch and looked down she gasped though as realisation hit her. The stranger on her couch was no stranger. It was her other son! The one who had been kidnapped by demons at the age of fifteen. "PAIGE! LEO!" Piper screamed at the ceiling.

"What?" Paige asked as she orbed in beside her sister. "What's the emergency?" Paige stopped as she saw the emergency and rushed over to help Wyatt who was still trying to heal Chris. His healing seemed to be keeping him alive but the wounds weren't closing. "Why isn't he healing?" Paige asked as she felt something blocking her power. Then suddenly her voice sunk low as she noticed the identity of the man. "Chris?! Is it really him?"

Piper snapped her head to the side as she heard the sound of orbing. Leo orbed in beside his wife and looked at her apologetically. "Sorry honey", he started but was interrupted by her scream. "Heal now! You can apologise later if your son still lives." Leo looked over confused Wyatt looked unharmed but was concentrating hard on trying to heal someone with his aunt Paige. Leo moved over and choked on a sob as he saw who they were healing. Without another moments thought he placed his hands other his lost son's chest and applied his own healing. He frowned the moment he felt the force that blocked his magic.

"What happened?" Leo asked without moving his eyes from his dying son. "I don't know", Wyatt shouted in frustration. "I was hunting the demons I had been tracking for the past week and when I orbed in he was laying there in this state." Piper shook her head as she felt despair creeping upon her, "Never mind that. It can wait. Why isn't he healing?"

"He is but very slowly. There is some very powerful magic blocking us", Leo explained in the calmest voice he could manage. Piper watched and after a minute she could see what he was saying. The wounds looked cleaner and less life threatening however they still refused to close. Suddenly Chris began to stir beneath them. Chris eyes half opened as he felt the tugging sensation of healing magic being applied to his wounds. "Dad? Paige? Wyatt?", Chris mumbled as he felt his eyes grow heavy again and close.

"Chris! Stay with us damn it", Paige called. "Don't go dying on us now."

"Chris do you know what happened?" Wyatt asked in a broken voice. "Do you know what magic is preventing us from healing you?" Chris who was losing consciousness again only managed to nod before he blacked out again.

"This isn't working. We can't stand here all day healing him", Leo growled. "Piper get the first aid kit from the cupboard under the sink."

"I'll get the book" Wyatt muttered as he pulled his healing magic from Chris. "Book of shadows", he called. The book materialised in his arms seconds later and he started flipping pages looking for anything that might help.

"Aunt Paige why don't you go get aunt Phoebe", Wyatt hissed as he continued flipping. "No", Paige told her nephew. "You need my healing here."

"No we don't. One of us alone can keep him from death. I was doing that before you arrived. His wounds aren't getting any better no matter how many of us heal him. Leave Leo to heal why you get your sister", Wyatt told her in his take charge voice. Paige didn't like it but nodded in agreement with her nephew before she orbed away.

Piper came sprinting back into the room with the first aid kit, "What are you going to do Leo?" Leo grabbed the first kit and began setting about preparing what he need. "Hot water; I need hot water to sterilize equipment", Leo spoke quickly. Piper nodded and ran to get the hot water.

"DAD!" Wyatt cried as he looked up from the book to see Chris' wounds returning to how they were when he found him now no one was healing him. Jumping away from the book he applied his healing to his brother again. Paige orbed in that moment with a very emotional Phoebe. "Oh my god!" both sisters cried as they saw the state their nephew was in. "What happened?" cried Piper darkly as she entered the room and saw Chris in worse condition again. Paige added her healing to Wyatt's and Leo started to sterilize the equipment.

"The moment all of us stop healing him the damage returns", Leo informed them. "What we need to do it find the magic that is preventing us. Phoebe you and Piper work on that. Wyatt, Paige both keep healing. Once I'm set up I will add my healing and we can get him back to the safer state he was in. Then I plan to try mortal means to heal him while you both keep healing. Maybe whatever magic it is will allow us to use mortal ways."

Five minutes later and Leo was ready to start sewing up his son's wounds. "Anything", he asked his wife and sister in law as he started on the first wound. It had taken so long because they had been forced to remove the clothes from his burnt body so he could get to the wounds. Chris lay on the couch now in just his underwear as his father worked on him. Leo noted that his son had changed a lot as he grew older. Chris had developed a lot of extra muscle all over his body in the past seven years. Wyatt no longer held much in the muscle department over his baby brother. "Nothing", Phoebe informed them angrily. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know. Maybe Chris will be able to tell us when he comes round again. He seemed to understand Wyatt earlier. That nod was to tell us he knows the magic that is blocking our healing. I'm sure of it", Leo murmured as he focused. As he spoke he noticed his son stiffen. "Chris", he called softly. Chris showed no sign of responding and so Leo continued.

* * *

_**Wednesday 7**__**th**__** October 2026 8.07pm, Halliwell Manor**_

"How is he doing?" Phoebe asked her eldest nephew who had refused to leave his brother's side for the past four hours. "Piper's saved you some food if you're hungry."

"I'm not", Wyatt answered quickly. "Sweetie your dad or aunt Paige can watch him while you eat", Phoebe mumbled.

"Look I'm not hungry alright. So can we just leave it?" Wyatt snapped as his aunt even though he knew she only had his best interests at heart. "Sorry", he muttered after a moment of silence. "It's okay sweetie", she reassured him. "You have every right to be angry and protective of your baby brother. God knows I used to be of your aunt Paige."

"Ain't that the truth", Paige mused sarcastically as she entered the living room. "Any improvement?"

"Nope. Every time his wounds reopen I can close them with a few minutes of healing but then ten minutes later they just reopen", Wyatt grit his teeth. Chris hadn't regained consciousness since he first arrived back in the manor. Piper and Leo entered the room and crowded round the couch. Piper placed a supportive hand on her eldest sons shoulder while her husband crouched down to take their youngest son's pulse.

"His pulse is still weak but not dangerously so", Leo told them after a moment. "When he does recover he is going to be very weak for a couple of days though."

"Humph, I'll be up and about in no time", Chris coughed as he smiled slightly. No one had noticed him wake. "Chris!" his whole family cried hearing his voice.

"Chris", Leo spoke again to get his son's attention. "You have to tell us what happened. We can't heal you since there is some magic blocking us. We've closed the wounds but they just keep reopening. What did this to you?"

Chris frowned as he concentrated on what Leo had told him. He was still finding it hard to organise his thoughts. Some magic was blocking them from healing? Suddenly he sat up sharply before he collapsed in excruciating pain back on the sofa. His mind had cleared enough for him to remember and understand the situation. "Aaahhh", Chris cried as he clutched his side.

"Chris?!" Wyatt yelled as all of his wounds sprung open again. They were growing bad again and his healing alone couldn't stop them from progressing. Seeing Wyatt struggle Leo and Paige sprung forward to help heal Chris. As they held their golden glowing hands over his wounds they noticed the block lift instantly. Chris' wounds that had been racing back to the worst they had been reversed just as quickly and in just a minute he was fully healed.

"What happened?"Phoebe asked puzzled. "How comes you could suddenly heal him?"

"I don't know", Leo answered as he pondered something. "The block suddenly lifted. You felt it too didn't you?" he asked looking to Paige and his son. They both nodded in confusion however Piper was watching her youngest son who had the strangest expression on his face for the briefest second before it disappeared. Chris had always been good at hiding his emotions even the future version that came back was frustrating good at it and it really irritated Piper that she couldn't read her son. She turned to ask her sister Phoebe about it since she had the gift of empathy but the look Phoebe gave her was enough to tell her that Phoebe had no idea.

"Peanut", Piper sighed as she threw herself at her youngest son on the couch. "Mom", he replied just as choked as he embraced her tightly. After a moment the eldest charmed one released her son so the other could get a hug after the almost seven year wait.

"Chris", Paige and Phoebe cried as they threw themselves at their missing nephew. Piper again noticed a flash of emotion cross Chris' face before he embraced them. It looked almost like fear, or pain. The aunts quickly released him so he could hug his dad and brother. "Chris", Wyatt called with tear filled eyes as he grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him off the couch into his embrace. This time Piper knew she didn't imagine it. As Chris hugged his brother fear and pain crossed his face and he cringed from the contact. Wyatt however didn't seem to notice as he was too happy to have his brother back.

Leo waited for his turn and held his arms out for his son to hug him. He noticed how Chris hesitated and his smile fell away. What had happened in the last seven years that made Chris so skittish around his family? Chris came to him though and gave him a hesitant and quickly broken hug. Phoebe nodded to her eldest sister to show she hadn't missed the strange behaviour.

Chris' head snapped round and he stared in shock as he heard what his mom and aunt were thinking. "Don't worry Chris. You're home and safe", Phoebe almost pleaded with her nephew.

"Of course I'm safe aunt Phoebe. I have been for the last seven years", he said before he heard the rest of her thought. "Demons. You thought I had been taken by demons?" Chris asked confused.

"Well yes. Of course you were taken by demons. It's not like you would have just walked out on your family is it?" Paige laughed lightly. "But how did you I was thinking about you being taken?" Phoebe asked in confusion.

"Well I heard you thinking it", Chris admitted. "Thinking it?" Phoebe repeated.

"He's a telepath", Paige muttered in surprise. "Hold on though if you weren't taken by demons where have you been all these years?"

"Well I left. I thought I explained all this in the letter", Chris mumbled quietly. He didn't need to look at the shocked faces to understand they hadn't known. He could hear all their confused and hurt, not mention furious thoughts in his head, stinging his brain like an angry swarm of bees.

"What letter?" Phoebe asked as she was the first to recover. Obviously Piper, Leo and Wyatt were still in shock that Chris had intently left them when he was just fifteen.

"The letter I left in the kitchen when I disappeared all those years ago", Chris answered mechanically knowing it didn't make any difference. He had done everything he could to try convince them not to look for him, yet for some reason it had backfired. They had been left in fear, pain and uncertainty for almost seven years. Chris felt awful for all the pain it had caused after all he knew his running away would cause them heart ache but he thought they would move on not dwell on it for years without end.

"I'm sorry I never meant for any of this to happen. I can't deal with this right now", Chris broke into sobs as he orbed away. The Halliwell family just stared at the spot where their beloved Chris had been seconds before. They were stunned into absolute stillness.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Wednesday 7**__**th**__** October 2026 8.17pm, Conners Home**_

Chris appeared in the living room of the house he and Luke shared on the outskirts of New York. As he materialised his husband snapped shut the mobile phone he had been on with a quick, "He is here. I got to go."

"Chris", he cried as he raced across the room to pick his husband up off of the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked as he noticed the tears streaming down the face of the most precious person in his world. Well apart from his son of course. He pulled his husband close as he sank to sit on the floor with him. Chris hadn't stopped sobbing or whimpering since he arrived. Luke started rubbing soothing circles into his spouse's back and made 'shh'ing sounds to calm him. "Come on baby. Tell me what's wrong, please", he pleaded.

Chris knew he was being over emotional but he couldn't stop it. However his husband's embrace was the one thing in the world that always helped. Whether it was nightmares which had plagued by since he was fifteen or something real that overwhelmed him, Luke Conners was the only person that managed to make him feel unequivocally safe and whole. "My family", Chris managed to choke out after a while. Luke nodded his head as partial understanding dawned on him. "How bad was it? Did they hate you for leaving?"

Luke panicked as Chris suddenly got worse after he spoke. The outlook wasn't good for the relationship Chris had with his family. Whatever Chris needed Luke would there and it was with that resolve he settled in for Chris to cry himself out. Luke didn't even care that Chris was saturating one of his favourite shirts with salty tears. If the only thing he could do to make Chris feel better was hold him close while he let his emotions out then he would do just that. After all Chris was not the type of guy to show his emotions very often, with the only exceptions being his husband and son. He piled them all up until they reached breaking point. After about half an hour Chris had cried himself to sleep and Luke lifted him from the floor. Leaving the room he used his telekinesis to flick the lights off. Carrying him upstairs to the bedroom and setting him down Luke left the room to check on his soon. Happy his son was still sleeping soundly he returned the bedroom and pulled the covers over his distraught lover. Then he lay himself down and rested his head on Chris' chest.

* * *

_**Wednesday 7**__**th**__** October 2026 8.19pm, Halliwell Manor**_

"What just happened here?" Piper exploded after a few seconds of staring at the spot her son had vanished from. "How could he just leave like that? Again."

"Piper, calm down", Phoebe advised her sister. "We don't need your powers getting out of control. It won't help anything. Would one of you with orbing mind going and bringing Chris back here?" Phoebe fumed.

"I can't sense him", Wyatt replied stone-faced. "Neither can I", Leo admitted.

"Or me", Paige said after closing her eyes to concentrate. "Okay up to the attic all of you", Phoebe instructed angrily. She moved to Paige so she could be orbed upstairs after grabbing the book. Leo and Wyatt appeared right after them with Piper. "Paige, candles." Phoebe was glad her sister understood.

"Candles, circle", Paige called out before picking up the matches to light them. "He can block us if he wants to but were just going to summon his arse back here to get our answers", Phoebe told them as she took charge this time. Phoebe was infuriated that her empathy power had failed them not only downstairs but seven years ago before Chris left them.

_Power of the witches rise_

_Course unseen across the skies_

_Come to us who call you near_

_Come to us and settle here._

Reaching over Piper dropped a couple of drops of her blood onto the ground herbs.

_Blood to blood, I summon thee_

_Blood to blood, return to me._

"Why didn't that work? It's always worked before", Paige mumbled.

"I don't know. Maybe he has found a way to block it", Leo answered in a voice that showed how much this situation hurt him.

"There are still a few others we might try", Paige said flipping through the book. "Dads right", Wyatt said quietly. "If Chris left us freely seen years ago then he would have blocked at attempts to summon him. You know how neurotic he is. He will have thought this through from every angle."

"So what we just let your brother up and leave like that?" Paige grumbled. "What else would you have us do? He won't answer our calls, we can't sense him and we can't summon him. What else is there for us to try?" Wyatt stared his aunt Paige down.

"Okay, but we don't know call him won't work", Paige pointed out in a hopelessly optimistic tone. "I'm going to try scrying for him", Wyatt announced as he went over to the drawers and grabbed the equipment. Maybe I can find him using out brotherly bond.""Knock yourself out", Leo suggested.

"In the meantime maybe we should be looking at this from a different angle", Phoebe mused more to herself than anyone else. "Maybe he was blocking me downstairs."

"Blocking you how? You mean your empathy?" Leo asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Piper noticed as well as I that he had flashes of strong emotion crossing his face when we all hugged him. Even you noticed his hesitation but I didn't feel any emotion from him", Phoebe mumbled as she paced.

"If that's true then maybe it explains why we couldn't heal him", Leo frowned as if in confusion. Everyone turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked. "Well if Chris is able to prevent us from scrying, summoning or calling him and he was able to block Phoebe's empathy ability it means he is a lot more powerful than we are giving him credit for. Not to mention a lot smarter. Maybe he is cloaking himself with a spell so strong that it has side effects", Leo explained.

"And you think one of those side effects could be that it blocked our healing why?" Paige asked as she paused calling for her nephew.

"Because he said he knew what was blocking us and the moment he was awake we could heal him. He lowered it so we could heal him", Leo said with certainty.

"Okay but he didn't do any chanting so how did he raise it against Phoebe", Wyatt asked.

"I don't know", Leo admitted. "Right well that is really good thinking Leo but can we return to my question?" Phoebe asked looking around at the faces of her family. "As I was saying maybe we should be trying to understand Chris before we try to bring him back. Those emotions we saw on his face weren't positive one. They were negative. For some reason he seemed to fear us or hate us. Maybe we should be trying to figure out what happened to cause that. I mean the Chris we all know wasn't like that. Something has happened that stole away the Chris we know and until we discover what that is I don't think we will stand a chance of convincing him to come back home."

* * *

_**Wednesday 8**__**th**__** October 2026 2.23am, Conners Home**_

Chris woke up in bed confused until he realised that his husband lay there beside him with his head on Chris' chest. He had arrived home in quite a state and must have fallen asleep from emotional and physical exhaustion. Almost dying takes a great toll on the body even when you get healed. Chris knew this from past experience. He lay there thinking about how things had turned bad so quickly again and sighed.

"So are you awake now?" Luke mumbled. "Have there been many false starts?" Chris asked. He was aware that he often talked in his sleep, screamed if he was having nightmares. Sometimes his husband thought he was awake from the way he talked. "There was one or two", Luke replied which Chris knew meant there were more but he wasn't going to admit them. "Do you wanna talk about it baby?"

Did Chris want to talk about it? Could he talk about it? Yes he thinks he needed to talk about it. So taking a deep breath he told his husband the whole tale from demon hunting to the fleeing of the manor. "Just when I left I wanted to give myself time to get over it without hurting them but at the same time give them a chance to get over my cowardice. Now it seems it was all wasted and I don't understand how everything got so messed up. Where did my letter disappear to? Will I be able to fix things with my family? I guess after almost dying and having to deal with the shock that my family was after the same ones that their pity overwhelmed me. I went expecting their angry and to get their pity made me feel guilty. Does that even make any sense?"

"Of course it does", Luke said as he leant on his elbow to look at his love. "I think if they gave you a chance to explain without overwhelming you then all of this could be resolved. Being a telepath doesn't help matters if you can hear all your family member's thoughts at the same time. Trust me I know. Maybe we could find away to get one of them on their own and build up. What do you think?"

Chris furrowed his eye brows as he thought about it, "Yeah that might work but I couldn't tell them everything at once. First I would have to get them to understand my decision to leave. I don't think I could handle telling them about you and Victor yet."

Luke smiled, "We can go as fast or slow as you want baby. You've got me forever and ever. So which member do you think would be approached easiest? You want me to go with you as a friend or you want to go solo?"

Chris smiled immediately knowing who he had to go to first, "My granddad would be my first choice but I also don't want to face him yet and see the disappointment in his eyes so I think Phoebe would be my best chance to break the ice. Although she can't keep a secret to save her life", Chris mused as he bit his lower lip.

"Why don't we go back to sleep and decide in the morning? Sleeping on it might be insightful", his husband yawned. "I love you", Chris kissed him and gently squeezed his waist. "Love you too", came a sleepy reply before they lay there in silence. Gradually they both fell into sleep once more.


End file.
